A heroic, 7-day bike ride made this teen a global star. Where is she now?
Jyoti Kumari, who gained global fame for cycling her injured father 700 miles during India's COVID-19 lockdown, reports that the promised support and career opportunities have failed to materialize. She now faces significant economic hardship despite her past status as a symbol of resilience.
Why it matters
The story highlights the fleeting nature of viral fame and the failure of public and political promises to provide long-term support for individuals in crisis.
Fame is a strange beast. It brings applause, attention and promises of a better life. But when the spotlight moves on, those promises are often forgotten. No one knows this better than 22-year-old Jyoti Kumari.
When she was 15 years old, during the peak of India's COVID shutdown , she shot to international fame for cycling over 700 miles, from northern India to her village in the eastern state of Bihar, with her injured father riding on the back of the hot pink bike she'd bought for $20.
Her dad, Mohan Paswan, drove an autorickshaw for 20 years in Gurugram, a city near Delhi , sending money to his wife and five children in the village of Sirhulli. After he suffered a debilitating road accident in January 2020, Kumari and her mom took the train to Gurugram to care for him.
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